1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machine monitor system for monitoring the state of each of a plurality of machines connected via a computer network, a local monitor unit and an integrated monitor unit making up such a machine monitor system, a machine monitor method using such a machine monitor system, a computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as a local monitor unit, and a computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer to function as an integrated monitor unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
A printer is one of peripheral machines constructing a computer system centering on a personal computer. It consumes toner, ink, an ink ribbon, etc. (the xe2x80x9cconsumable articlexe2x80x9d), in response to its print method. When the remaining amount of toner, ink, etc., is low, the quality of the characters and images printed by the printer is degraded. When the printer runs out of toner, ink, etc., it cannot print and enters a non-operational state. Thus, it is desirable to monitor the remaining amount of the consumable article to avoid entry of the machine into a nonoperational state.
Japanese Patent Number JP-A-9-188042 discloses an example of a recorder capable of monitoring consumables. The recorder disclosed here detects the remaining amount of ink, etc., and when the remaining amount falls below a predetermined value, the recorder automatically transmits an ink purchase order to a store by fax.
To realize the system described in JP-A-9-188042, a communication system for transmitting a purchase order to a store by fax, namely, a communication machine such as a modem and communication software must be built in each recorder. However, if the communication system is built in each recorder, a steep rise in costs of each recorder occurs. To connect each recorder to a telephone line, a considerable investment becomes necessary. Particularly, an extremely large number of printers are installed in offices as compared with copiers, thus building of a communication system in each recorder and connecting of each recorder to a telephone line cost enormously. On the other hand, in stores, facsimile machines receive purchase orders from the recorders; if a large number of recorders are involved, while a facsimile machine receives a purchase order issued from one printer, the facsimile communication occupies the telephone line, thus purchase orders issued from other units, etc., cannot be received. To avoid such a situation, the number of reception lines must be increased and a steep rise in costs of the reception system in the store also occurs. This point is a first problem in the related art.
In the system described in JP-A-9-188042, purchase orders are transmitted separately from printers to a store and personnel in the store must manually sort the purchase orders and adds up the order figures. However, as the number of recorders to be monitored increases, the number of purchase orders also increases, thus making it difficult to add up the order figures. The actual maintenance items for recorders include not only replenishment of consumables of ink, etc., but also items requiring dispatching of maintenance personnel such as photosensitive drum replacement. When requests for such maintenance are issued from printers, if maintenance personnel are dispatched as requested by the printers, there is a possibility that a number of maintenance persons may be dispatched separately to a plurality of recorders installed at the same site (namely, a plurality of recorders belonging to the same user) within a short time period. If maintenance personnel concentrate thus on one site, a situation in which other customers must wait a long time for maintenance personnel to come can also occur. This point is a second problem in the related art.
In the art described in JP-A-9-188042, the threshold value of the ink remaining amount for requesting the recorder to transmit a purchase order is set uniformly for all recorders. However, the consumption speed of consumables including ink, a photosensitive drum, and paper varies depending on the recorder installation place and the recorder application, thus the time interval between the instant at which a purchase order is transmitted and the instant at which consumables run out actually is multifarious. For example, for a printer with an extremely large ink consumption amount per day, the time interval between the instant at which the ink remaining amount falls below the threshold value and the instant at which ink runs out is shorter than that for a printer with a standard ink consumption amount. Therefore, if a purchase order is transmitted when the ink remaining amount falls below the threshold value, there is a possibility that the printer may run out of ink before ink sent according to the purchase order arrives at the user. In contrast, with a printer with an extremely small ink consumption amount per day, if ink is sent according to a purchase order transmitted when the ink remaining amount falls below the threshold value, there is a possibility that ink may still remain in the printer after the ink arrives at the user. In this case, the ink arriving at the user is kept idle without being loaded into the printer, thus it is feared that the ink quality may be degraded. Since purchase orders are sent to a store at random from recorders, orders may concentrate at a time in large quantities or no orders may be given. Thus, the store cannot predict shipment amounts and thus must always have large amounts of articles in stock. This point is a third problem in the related art.
It is a first object of the invention to solve the first problem in the related art and specifically to provide a configuration at low costs for eliminating the need for a communication system from each machine to be monitored and a totalizer of a special hardware configuration and enabling the machines to be reliably monitored regardless of the number of the monitored machines.
It is a second object of the invention to solve the second problem in the related art and specifically to provide a configuration which makes it possible to precisely keep track of the state of each of the machines to be monitored and efficiently dispatch maintenance personnel in user units if the machines to be monitored increase.
It is a third object of the invention to solve the third problem in the related art and specifically to provide a configuration which makes it possible to execute a shipment procedure, etc., of a consumable article at an appropriate timing for each machine to be monitored and efficiently manage the inventory of consumables in a store.
According to a first embodiment of the invention, there is provided a local monitor unit for transmitting status information indicating an operation state of a machine to be monitored to an integrated monitor unit through a computer network, the local monitor unit comprising local information getting means for getting the status information from the machine through a first-type computer network, local information retention means for retaining the status information gotten by the local information getting means, and local information transmission means for transmitting at least a part of a plurality of pieces of the status information retained in the local information retention means to the integrated monitor unit through a second-type computer network connecting the first-type computer network to the integrated monitor unit.
According to the local monitor unit thus configured, each machine such as a printer need not have an ordering function of consumables or a sending function of purchase orders over the public switched network. Instead, the local monitor unit connected to the first-type computer network together with the machines to be monitored gets the status information of the machines to be monitored and transmits the status information to the integrated monitor unit. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the specifications of the machines to be monitored or add functions, so that a machine monitor system can be constructed at comparatively low costs.
The local monitor unit once stores the status information of the machines installed in the same area or in the proximity of the area through the first-type computer network and sends all or some of the stored status information to the integrated monitor unit installed at a site remote from the local monitor unit, such as a place of business, via the second-type computer network. Thus, the machines to be monitored need not communicate with the integrated monitor unit, so that the integrated monitor unit need not be provided with interfaces corresponding to the machines to be monitored or means for communicating with the machines to be monitored (for example, telephone lines). Thus, the interfaces and the communication means need not be controlled separately either. Therefore, the integrated monitor unit of a simple configuration at low costs can be used to monitor a number of machines installed in a wide range. Since the machines to be monitored and the integrated monitor unit need not communicate with each other, the communication frequency for getting the status information can be lessened. Therefore, the communication costs for getting the status information from the machines can be reduced.
The local monitor unit gets the status information from the machines to be monitored such as printers through the computer network enabling a large amount of information to be transmitted in a short time at setup fast communication speed and transmits the status information to the integrated monitor unit through the second-type computer network. Thus, if network-compatible machines such as network printers are to be monitored, the local monitor unit can use only already provided functions to get the status information of the machines if the machines are not modified. Since the processing time in the machine required for transmitting the status information through the computer network to the local monitor unit is short as compared with the data transmission time of an ink purchase order, etc., to the agency over a telephone line, the data transmission little affects the essential function of the machine.
A second embodiment of the invention specifies that the first-type computer network in the first embodiment is a local area network and the second-type computer network is the Internet. If the Internet is thus adopted, the communication costs can be more decreased as compared with the conventional system using a facsimile machine, etc., because the Internet covers almost all the world. Since the Internet eliminates local problems, the integrated monitor unit can be installed anywhere. Thus, the state of each of the machines installed in various areas can be monitored in batch at one or several sites; the number of persons required for monitoring the machine state can be decreased and service can be improved.
A third embodiment of the invention specifies that the local information transmission means in the first embodiment comprises electronic mail preparation means for converting the status information into a format of electronic mail to which the address of the integrated monitor unit is added, and electronic mail sending means for sending electronic mail prepared by the electronic mail preparation means to a mail server of the second-type computer network. If electronic mail is thus used, it is temporarily stored in the mail server in the Internet and is read by the integrated monitor unit whenever necessary, so that the network traffic is furthermore relieved. Moreover, if electronic mail is thus used, it is not necessary to establish connection each time the status information is exchanged between the local monitor unit and the integrated monitor unit, thus the integrated monitor unit can smoothly get the status information from a number of first-type networks. Since a reference to the information retained on the database provided in the integrated monitor unit can be made through the Internet from each business office, etc., higher-quality after-sales service can be provided for the machine user.
A fourth embodiment of the invention specifies that the local information getting means in the third embodiment gets status information of a plurality of machines and that the electronic mail preparation means of the local information transmission means converts the status information gotten from the machines into one piece of electronic mail.
A fifth embodiment of the invention specifies that the local information getting means in the first embodiment gets the status information in a first time period and that the local information transmission means transmits the most recent status information of the machine to the integrated monitor unit in a second time period longer than the first time period. The status information is thus gotten from each machine to be monitored in the first time period which is comparatively short, whereby the local monitor unit can check for changes in the operation state of each machine to be monitored in detail and thus can reliably keep track of the operation state of each machine to be monitored. The local monitor unit retains the status information in batch and sends all or some of the status information to the second-type network in a packet in the second time period which is comparatively long, whereby the communication frequency can be decreased, the traffic of the second-type network can be prevented from increasing, and the communication costs can be reduced. When the local information transmission means sends the status information, it sends only the most recent status information. Thus, if the machine to be monitored temporarily enters an abnormal state, the integrated monitor unit is not informed of the abnormal state if the abnormal state is corrected when the status information is transmitted; the load is taken off the integrated monitor unit. However, if the abnormal state is not corrected when the status information is transmitted, the integrated monitor unit is informed of the abnormal state, so that the operator of the integrated monitor unit can precisely keep track of the abnormal state in the machine to be monitored and can take appropriate steps of after-sales service, etc.
A sixth embodiment of the invention specifies that the local monitor unit in the fifth embodiment further includes state determination means for determining whether the status information gotten by the local information getting means indicates an abnormal state of the machine, wherein the local information getting means gets the status information in a time period shorter than the first time period only while the state determination means determines that the status information indicates an abnormal state of the machine. In such a configuration, if the machine to be monitored enters an abnormal state, the local monitor unit can finely monitor the abnormal state by increasing the frequency of monitoring the machine. If the machine to be monitored is recovered from the abnormal state, the frequency of monitoring the machine is restored to the former frequency, so that the monitor frequency can be prevented from unnecessarily increasing.
A seventh embodiment of the invention specifies that the local information getting means in the sixth embodiment gets the status information of a plurality of machines and while the state determination means determines that the status information gotten from a specific machine indicates an abnormal state of the machine, gets the status information only from the specific machine in a time period shorter than the first time period.
An eighth embodiment of the invention specifies that the local monitor unit in the fifth embodiment further includes state determination means for determining whether the status information gotten by the local information getting means indicates an abnormal state of the machine, wherein when the state determination means starts to determine that the status information indicates an abnormal state of the machine, the local information transmission means transmits the status information to the integrated monitor unit regardless of the second time period.
A ninth embodiment of the invention specifies that when the state determination means determines that the status information indicates an abnormal state of the machine over a predetermined time, the local information transmission means in the sixth or eighth embodiment transmits status information indicating the fact to the integrated monitor unit regardless of the second time period. Unlike an abnormal condition such as a paper jam that can be corrected by the user in a short time, an abnormal condition such as a mechanical failure requiring maintenance cannot be corrected until the failure machine undergoes maintenance, thus the operator of the integrated monitor unit can easily recognize the degree of the abnormal state of the machine. If the operator recognizes that the abnormal state requires maintenance, the integrated monitor unit can provide various services such as a service of warning the user of the machine to be monitored that the machine is in an abnormal state and a service of dispatching maintenance personnel.
A tenth embodiment of the invention specifies that the local monitor unit in the first embodiment further includes display means for displaying a main screen for indicating information concerning every machine connected through the first-type computer network and a subscreen for indicating detailed information concerning a specific machine specified on the main screen.
An eleventh embodiment of the invention specifies that the machine in the first embodiment is a computer system peripheral machine.
A twelfth embodiment of the invention specifies that the machine in the first embodiment is a network printer.
According to a thirteenth embodiment of the invention, there is provided a local monitor unit for transmitting status information indicating the operation state of a machine to be monitored to an integrated monitor unit through a computer network, the local monitor unit comprising local information getting means for getting the status information from the machine, electronic mail preparation means for converting the status information gotten by the local information getting means into a format of electronic mail to which the address of the integrated monitor unit is added, and local information transmission means for sending electronic mail prepared by the electronic mail preparation means to a mail server of the computer network.
The local monitor unit thus configured transmits the status information of the machines to be monitored to the integrated monitor unit in the electronic mail format. Therefore, the electronic mail containing the status information of the machines to be monitored is given the network address of the integrated monitor unit, then is sent to the mail server of the computer network at a proper timing. The integrated monitor unit can read the electronic mail thus stored in the mail server at a proper timing. Therefore, the machines to be monitored and the integrated monitor unit need not be directly connected and a direct communication line need not be placed between the local monitor unit and the integrated monitor unit. If the status information is thus stored in the electronic mail of store-and-forward data and the electronic mail is transmitted, a larger amount of information can be sent to the integrated monitor unit without increasing the network traffic with load. Therefore, the communication costs can be reduced. A communication path of connectionless type is formed between the local monitor unit and the integrated monitor unit. Thus, if a number of local monitor units transmit electronic mail at the same time, all the electronic mail pieces are stored in the mail server and the integrated monitor unit can read the electronic mail pieces from the mail server at a proper timing and process them. Since synchronization between the local monitor unit and the integrated monitor unit is not required, the processing time required for monitoring one machine to be monitored can be decreased drastically.
According to a fourteenth embodiment of the invention, there is provided an integrated monitor unit for receiving status information indicating the operation state of each of machines to be monitored, connected to a first-type computer network through a second-type computer network connected to the first-type computer network, the integrated monitor unit comprising global information getting means for getting the status information from the machines, a database for storing information concerning the machines, database management means for updating the database based on the status information gotten by the global information getting means, and display means for displaying the information stored on the database.
According to the integrated monitor unit thus configured, the display means displays the information in the database updated by the database management means. Thus, at a site where the integrated monitor unit is installed, for example, a service center, the operator of the integrated monitor unit can easily keep track of the operation state of each of the machines to be monitored, dispersed in a wide range. For example, when the machine to be monitored is in an abnormal state, the operator of the integrated monitor unit can voluntarily dispatch maintenance personnel before the user calls the service center, or can inform the user of the abnormal state of the machine and prompt after-sales service can be provided for the machine. Thus, according to the invention, the after-sales service for the machine to be monitored can be made more satisfactory.
A fifteenth embodiment of the invention specifies that the first-type computer network in the thirteenth embodiment is a local area network and the second-type computer network is the Internet.
A sixteenth embodiment of the invention specifies that the global information getting means in the fifteenth embodiment comprises electronic mail reception means for receiving electronic mail storing the status information from a mail server of the second-type computer network, and extraction means for extracting the status information from the electronic mail received by the electronic mail reception means.
A seventeenth embodiment of the invention specifies that the database in the fourteenth embodiment also stores the past status information of the machines gotten by the global information getting means and that the display means displays a main screen for indicating the status information of the machines connected through the first-type computer network and a subscreen for indicating a history of the status information of a specific machine specified on the main screen.
An eighteenth embodiment of the invention specifies that the main screen in the seventeenth embodiment indicates the most recent status information of each machine.
A nineteenth embodiment of the invention specifies that the main screen in the seventeenth embodiment indicates the status information of machines grouped for each first-type computer network.
A twentieth embodiment of the invention specifies that the status information in the seventeenth embodiment contains information indicating the remaining amount of a consumable article and that the subscreen for indicating a history of the status information of a specific machine displays a history of the remaining amounts of the consumable article of the machine.
A twenty-first embodiment of the invention specifies that the machine in the fourteenth embodiment is a computer system peripheral machine.
A twenty-second embodiment of the invention specifies that the machine in the fourteenth embodiment is a network printer.
According to a twenty-third embodiment of the invention, there is provided an integrated monitor unit for receiving status information indicating the operation state of each of machines to be monitored through a computer network, the integrated monitor unit comprising electronic mail reception means for receiving electronic mail storing the status information from a mail server of the computer network, extraction means for extracting the status information from the electronic mail received by the electronic mail reception means, a database for storing information concerning the machines, database management means for updating the database based on the status information extracted by the extraction means, and display means for displaying the information stored on the database.
Since the integrated monitor unit thus configured gets the status information converted into the electronic mail format, the contents of the status information extracted from the electronic mail can be displayed on a screen instantly. Thus, the operator of the integrated monitor unit can easily keep track of the operation state of each of the machines to be monitored, dispersed in a wide range with no delay. Thus, when the machine to be monitored is in an abnormal state, the operator of the integrated monitor unit can voluntarily dispatch maintenance personnel before the user calls the service center, or can inform the user of the abnormal state of the machine and prompt after-sales service can be provided for the machine. Thus, according to the invention, the after-sales service for the machine to be monitored can be made more satisfactory.
According to a twenty-fourth embodiment of the invention, there is provided an integrated monitor unit for receiving status information indicating the operation state of each of machines to be monitored through a computer network, the integrated monitor unit comprising global information getting means for getting the status information from the machines, and display means for displaying the status information gotten by the global information getting means in installation area units of the machines.
In such a configuration, if the number of the machines to be monitored increases, the operator of the integrated monitor unit can easily keep track of the state of each of the machines to be monitored in area units as compared with the case where the status information of the machines to be monitored is displayed in the registration order. Thus, the operator of the integrated monitor unit can easily determine the area in which the machine requiring a supply or maintenance is installed, and can efficiently deliver the supply, dispatch maintenance personnel, etc., and the quality of the after-sales service can be improved. For example, when a maintenance person needs to be dispatched to one machine, if a failing machine exists near the installation place of that machine, the operator of the integrated monitor unit can make the same maintenance person repair the machines on the same day. After a maintenance person is dispatched to one machine, if another machine fails in the area in which that machine is installed or in the proximity of the area, the operator of the integrated monitor unit can immediately keep track of the failure and thus call the maintenance person so as to handle the failure. Resultantly, an inefficient situation in which separate maintenance persons are dispatched to the machines can be prevented from occurring and service can be improved by efficiently dispatching maintenance personnel. If the status information of the machines to be monitored is displayed in area units, the status information of the machines to be monitored, installed in each area can be all displayed at a time although a large number of the machines to be monitored exist.
If the status information of the machines to be monitored is displayed in area units, to ship a consumable article of ink, etc., to one machine, if the operator erroneously ships the consumable article to another machine to be monitored, displayed together with that machine, the erroneous shipment destination is in the same area as the correct shipment destination. Therefore, the possibility that the consumable article may be shipped to the erroneous shipment destination lowers.
A twenty-five embodiment of the invention specifies that the machines in the twenty-fourth embodiment are connected to first-type computer networks connected to each other through a second-type computer network and that the display means displays the status information of the machines in first-type computer network units to which the machines are connected.
A twenty-sixth embodiment of the invention specifies that the display means in the twenty-fourth embodiment displays the most recent status information of each machine. If the most recent status information is thus displayed for each machine, the operator of the integrated monitor unit can recognize at a glance the operation state of each of the machines to be monitored, changing from moment to moment, and can take various steps based on the most recent status information.
According to a twenty-seventh embodiment of the invention, there is provided an integrated monitor unit for receiving status information containing remaining amount information of a consumable article of each of machines to be monitored through a computer network, the integrated monitor unit comprising global information getting means for periodically getting the status information from the machines, a database for storing information concerning the machines, database management means for storing the status information gotten by the global information getting means on the database, statistical processing means for predicting statistics of the remaining amount of the consumable article based on a plurality of pieces of the status information of each machine stored on the database, and output means for outputting the remaining amount statistics of the consumable article predicted by the statistical processing means.
The integrated monitor unit thus configured periodically gets and retains the status information containing remaining amount information of a consumable article of the machine to be monitored such as a printer (for example, ink, toner, or an ink ribbon) and predicts the statistics of the remaining amount of the consumable article based on a plurality of pieces of the retained status information. Thus, the operator of the integrated monitor unit can easily keep track of the consumable consumption tendency for each machine based on the predicted statistics. For example, the operator can understand the machine consuming consumables at high speed or low speed. Therefore, the operator of the integrated monitor unit can supply a consumable article to the machine consuming consumables at high speed at a stage where the remaining amount is comparatively large and the machine consuming consumables at low speed at a stage where the remaining amount is comparatively small, whereby the consumable article can be supplied just before it runs out. Thus, the consumable article can be prevented from running out or from being stocked for a long term. When a single integrated monitor unit monitors a number of machines, the whole consumption tendencies of all machines to be monitored can also be grasped based on the remaining amount statistics of the consumables in each machine. Thus, good use of the statistical information can be made for keeping the reasonable inventories in the service center, etc., and also for setting up a plan of manufacturing, sales, etc., of consumables by feeding back the consumption amounts of the consumables into the manufacturer.
A twenty-eighth embodiment of the invention specifies that the machines in the twenty-seventh embodiment are printers and the consumable article is ink, toner, or an ink ribbon.
A twenty-ninth embodiment of the invention specifies that the statistical processing means in the twenty-seventh embodiment predicts the remaining amount statistics of the consumable article on a monthly, weekly, or daily basis. In such a configuration, the remaining amount statistics in a comparatively short term on a weekly or daily basis can be predicted for the machines consuming consumables at high speed and the remaining amount statistics on a monthly basis can be predicted for the machines consuming consumables at low speed. Therefore, the statistics can be predicted matching the machines different in consumption tendency of consumables and the supply timing of consumables, etc., can be determined more precisely.
A thirtieth embodiment of the invention specifies that the database in the twenty-seventh embodiment stores the status information of the machines gotten by the global information getting means and that the output means displays a main screen for indicating the status information of the machines and a subscreen for indicating the remaining amount statistics of the consumable article of a specific machine specified on the main screen.
A thirty-first embodiment of the invention specifies that the output means in the twenty-seventh embodiment outputs the remaining amount statistics of the consumable article of the machine in a graph format.
A thirty-second embodiment of the invention specifies that the output means in the twenty-seventh embodiment outputs a history of the remaining amounts of the consumable article of the machine and the remaining amount statistics of the consumable article of the machine predicted by the statistical processing means in a graph format.
According to a thirty-third embodiment of the invention, there is provided a machine monitor system for executing centralized monitor of status information indicating the operation state of each of machines to be monitored, the machine monitor system comprising a local monitor unit being connected to the machines to be monitored through a first-type computer network for sending status information of the machines to be monitored to a second-type computer network, and an integrated monitor unit for receiving the status information sent by the local monitor unit to the second-type computer network.
According to the machine monitor system thus configured, each machine such as a printer need not have an ordering function of consumables or a sending function of purchase orders over the public switched network. Instead, the local monitor unit connected to the first-type computer network together with the machines to be monitored gets the status information of the machines to be monitored and transmits the status information to the integrated monitor unit. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the specifications of the machines to be monitored or add functions, so that the machine monitor system can be constructed at comparatively low costs.
The machine monitor system once stores the status information of the machines installed in the same area or in the proximity of the area through the first-type computer network and sends all or some of the stored status information to the integrated monitor unit installed at a site remote from the local monitor unit, such as a place of business, via the second-type computer network. Thus, the machines to be monitored need not communicate with the integrated monitor unit, so that the integrated monitor unit need not be provided with interfaces corresponding to the machines to be monitored or means for communicating with the machines to be monitored (for example, telephone lines). Thus, the interfaces and the communication means need not be controlled separately either. Therefore, the integrated monitor unit of a simple configuration at low costs can be used to monitor a number of machines dispersed in a wide range. Since the machines to be monitored and the integrated monitor unit need not communicate with each other, the communication frequency for getting the status information can be lessened. Therefore, the communication costs for getting the status information from the machines can be reduced.
With the machine monitor system, the local monitor unit gets the status information from the machines to be monitored such as printers through the computer network enabling a large amount of information to be transmitted in a short time at setup fast communication speed and transmits the status information to the integrated monitor unit through the second-type computer network, and the integrated monitor unit updates the database based on the status information. Thus, if network-compatible machines such as network printers are to be monitored, the local monitor unit can use only already provided functions to get the status information of the machines if the machines are not modified. Since the processing time in the machine required for transmitting the status information through the computer network to the local monitor unit is short as compared with the data transmission time of an ink purchase order, etc., to the agency over a telephone line, the data transmission little affects the essential function of the machine.
A thirty-fourth embodiment of the invention specifies that the local monitor unit in the thirty-third embodiment comprises local information getting means for getting the status information from the machines through the first-type computer network, local information retention means for retaining the status information gotten by the local information getting means, and local information transmission means for transmitting at least a part of a plurality of pieces of the status information retained in the local information retention means to the integrated monitor unit through the second-type computer network, and that the integrated monitor unit comprises global information getting means for receiving the status information through the second-type computer network, a database for storing information concerning the machines, database management means for updating the database based on the status information gotten by the global information getting means, and display means for displaying the information stored on the database.
A thirty-fifth embodiment of the invention specifies that the first-type computer network in the thirty-fourth embodiment is a local area network and the second-type computer network is the Internet.
A thirty-sixth embodiment of the invention specifies that the local information transmission means of the local monitor unit in the thirty-fifth embodiment comprises electronic mail preparation means for converting the status information into a format of electronic mail to which the address of the integrated monitor unit is added, and electronic mail sending means for sending electronic mail prepared by the electronic mail preparation means to a mail server of the second-type computer network, and that the global information getting means of the integrated monitor unit comprises electronic mail reception means for receiving electronic mail storing the status information from a mail server of the second-type computer network, and extraction means for extracting the status information from the electronic mail received by the electronic mail reception means.
A thirty-seventh embodiment of the invention specifies that the local information getting means of the local monitor unit in the thirty-fourth embodiment gets the status information in a first time period and that the local information transmission means of the local monitor unit transmits the most recent status information of each machine to the integrated monitor unit in a second time period longer than the first time period.
According to a thirty-eighth embodiment of the invention, there is provided a machine monitor system for executing centralized monitor of status information indicating the operation state of each of machines to be monitored, the machine monitor system comprising a local monitor unit being connected to the machines to be monitored through a first-type network for converting status information of the machines to be monitored into a format of electronic mail and sending the electronic mail to a second-type network, and an integrated monitor unit for receiving the electronic mail sent by the local monitor unit to the second-type network and extracting the status information from the electronic mail.
With the machine monitor system thus configured, the status information of the machines to be monitored is transmitted to the integrated monitor unit in the electronic mail format. Therefore, the electronic mail containing the status information of the machines to be monitored is given the network address of the integrated monitor unit, then is sent to the mail server of the computer network at a proper timing. The integrated monitor unit can read the electronic mail thus stored in the mail server at a proper timing and update the database. Therefore, the machines to be monitored and the integrated monitor unit need not be directly connected. Likewise, a direct communication line need not be placed between the local monitor unit and the integrated monitor unit. If the status information is thus stored in the electronic mail of store-and-forward data and the electronic mail is transmitted, a larger amount of status information can be sent to the integrated monitor unit without increasing the network traffic with load. Therefore, the communication costs can be reduced. A communication path of connectionless type is formed between the local monitor unit and the integrated monitor unit. Thus, if a number of local monitor units transmit electronic mail at the same time, all the electronic mail pieces are stored in the mail server and the integrated monitor unit can read the electronic mail pieces from the mail server at a proper timing and process them. Since synchronization between the local monitor unit and the integrated monitor unit is not required, the processing time required for monitoring one machine to be monitored can be decreased drastically.
A thirty-ninth embodiment of the invention specifies that the local monitor unit in the thirty-eighth embodiment comprises local information getting means for getting the status information from the machines, electronic mail preparation means for converting the status information gotten by the local information getting means into a format of electronic mail to which the address of the integrated monitor unit is added, and local information transmission means for sending electronic mail prepared by the electronic mail preparation means to a mail server of the second-type computer network, and that the integrated monitor unit comprises electronic mail reception means for receiving electronic mail storing the status information from the mail server of the second-type computer network, extraction means for extracting the status information from the electronic mail received by the electronic mail reception means, a database for storing information concerning the machines, database management means for updating the database based on the status information extracted by the extraction means, and display means for displaying the information stored on the database.
According to a fortieth embodiment of the invention, there is provided a machine monitor method comprising a local monitor step of getting status information indicating the operation state of each of machines to be monitored, connected to a first-type computer network and sending the status information to a second-type computer network connected to the first-type computer network and a global monitor step of getting the status information through the second-type computer network, wherein the local monitor step comprises a local information getting step of getting the status information of the machines, a local information retention step of retaining the gotten status information, and a local information transmission step of sending the retained status information to the second-type computer network, and wherein the global monitor step comprises a global information getting step of getting the status information through the second-type computer network, a step of providing a machine database for storing information concerning the machines to be monitored, a database management step of updating the machine database based on the status information, a step of providing a display, and a display step of displaying the information stored on the machine database on the display.
According to the machine monitor method, each machine such as a printer need not have an ordering function of consumables or a sending function of purchase orders over the public switched network. Instead, the unit being connected to the first-type computer network together with the machines to be monitored for executing the local monitor step gets the status information of the machines to be monitored and transmits the status information to the second-type computer network. The unit for executing the global monitor step gets the status information sent to the second-type computer network. Therefore, it is not necessary to change the specifications of the machines to be monitored or add functions, so that a machine monitor system can be constructed at comparatively low costs.
According to the machine monitor method, the status information of the machines installed in the same area or in the proximity of the area is once stored through the first-type computer network and all or some of the stored status information is sent to the second-type computer network. The global monitor step is executed at a remote site such as a place of business, whereby the status information sent to the second-type computer network is gotten. Thus, the unit for executing the global monitor step need not communicate with the machines to be monitored, so that it is not necessary to provide interfaces corresponding to the machines to be monitored or means for communicating with the machines to be monitored (for example, telephone lines). Thus, the interfaces and the communication means need not be controlled separately either. Therefore, the unit of a simple configuration at low costs can be used to monitor a number of machines installed in a wide range. Since it is not necessary to communicate with the machines to be monitored, the communication frequency for getting the status information can be lessened. Therefore, the communication costs for getting the status information from the machines can be reduced.
A forty-first embodiment of the invention specifies that the first-type computer network in the fortieth embodiment is a local area network and the second-type computer network is the Internet.
A forty-second embodiment of the invention specifies that the local information transmission step in the forty-first embodiment includes converting the status information of the machine into a format of electronic mail and sending the electronic mail to the second-type computer network, and that the global information getting step includes extracting the status information from the electronic mail received through the second-type computer network.
A forty-third embodiment of the invention specifies that the local information getting step in the fortieth embodiment includes getting the status information in a first time period, and that the local information transmission step includes sending the status information in a second time period different from the first time period.
A forty-fourth embodiment of the invention specifies that the local information getting step in the forty-third embodiment includes getting the status information in a time period shorter than the first time period only while the status information indicates an abnormal state of the machine.
A forty-fifth embodiment of the invention specifies that when the status information starts to indicate an abnormal state of the machine, the local information transmission step in the forty-fourth embodiment includes transmitting the status information to the second-type computer network regardless of the second time period.
A forty-sixth embodiment of the invention specifies that the display step in the fortieth step comprises a main screen display step of displaying a main screen for listing the machines registered on the database on the display and a subscreen display step of displaying a subscreen for indicating information concerning a specific machine specified on the main screen on the display.
A forty-seventh embodiment of the invention specifies that the display step in the fortieth embodiment comprises a main screen display step of displaying a main screen for listing the machines registered on the database on the display and a subscreen display step of displaying a subscreen for indicating a history of the status information of a specific machine specified on the main screen on the display.
A forty-eighth embodiment of the invention specifies that the main screen in the forty-seventh embodiment displays the most recent status information of the machine.
A forty-ninth embodiment of the invention specifies that the main screen in the forty-seventh embodiment indicates the status information of machines grouped for each first-type computer network.
A fiftieth embodiment of the invention specifies that the status information in the forty-seventh embodiment contains information indicating the remaining amount of a consumable article and the subscreen for indicating a history of the status information of a specific machine displays a history of the remaining amounts of the consumable article of the machine.
According to a fifty-first embodiment of the invention, there is provided a machine monitor method comprising a local monitor step of getting status information indicating the operation state of each of machines to be monitored and sending the status information to a computer network and a global monitor step of getting the status information through the computer network, wherein the local monitor step comprises a local information getting step of getting the status information of the machines, an electronic mail preparation step of converting the gotten status information into a format of electronic mail, and a local information sending step of sending prepared electronic mail to the computer network, and wherein the global monitor step comprises an electronic mail reception step of receiving the electronic mail through the computer network, an extraction step of extracting the status information from the received electronic mail, a step of providing a machine database for storing information concerning the machines to be monitored, a database management step of updating the machine database based on the status information, a step of providing a display, and a display step of displaying the information stored on the machine database on the display.
According to the machine monitor method, the status information of the machines to be monitored is transmitted to the unit for executing the global monitor step in the electronic mail format. Therefore, the electronic mail containing the status information of the machines to be monitored is given the network address of the unit, then is sent to the mail server of the computer network at a proper timing. The unit for executing the global monitor step can read the electronic mail thus stored in the mail server at a proper timing and update the database. Therefore, it is not necessary to communicate directly with the machines to be monitored. If the status information is thus stored in the electronic mail of store-and-forward data and the electronic mail is transmitted, a larger amount of status information is transmitted without increasing the network traffic with load. Therefore, the communication costs can be reduced.
According to a fifty-second embodiment of the invention, there is provided a machine monitor method comprising a data getting step of getting status information indicating the operation state of each of machines to be monitored, connected to a computer network through the computer network, a step of providing a display, and a display step of displaying the status information of the machines in installation area units of the machines on the display.
A fifty-third embodiment of the invention specifies that the machines in the fifty-second embodiment are connected to first-type computer networks connected to each other through a second-type computer network, and that the display step includes displaying the status information of the machines in first-type computer network units to which the machines are connected.
A fifty-fourth embodiment of the invention specifies that the display step in the fifty-third step includes displaying the most recent status information of each machine.
According to a fifty-fifth embodiment of the invention, there is provided a machine monitor method comprising a data getting step of periodically getting status information containing remaining amount information of a consumable article of each of machines to be monitored, connected to a computer network, a data retention step of retaining the gotten status information, a statistical processing step of predicting statistics of the remaining amount of the consumable article based on a plurality of pieces of the retained status information of each machine, and an output step of outputting the predicted remaining amount statistics of the consumable article.
A fifty-sixth embodiment of the invention specifies that the machines in the fifty-fifth embodiment are printers and the consumable article is ink, toner, or an ink ribbon.
A fifty-seventh embodiment of the invention specifies that the statistical processing step in the fifty-fifth embodiment includes predicting the remaining amount statistics of the consumable article on a monthly, weekly, or daily basis.
A fifty-eighth embodiment of the invention specifies that in the fifty-fifth embodiment, the gotten status information of the machines is stored, and that the output step comprises a main screen display step of displaying a main screen for indicating the status information of the machines and a subscreen display step of displaying a subscreen for indicating the remaining amount statistics of the consumable article of a specific machine specified on the main screen.
A fifty-ninth embodiment of the invention specifies that the output step in the fifty-fifth embodiment includes outputting the remaining amount statistics of the consumable article of the machine in a graph format.
A sixtieth embodiment of the invention specifies that the output step in the fifty-fifth embodiment includes outputting a history of the remaining amounts of the consumable article of the machine and the predicted remaining amount statistics of the consumable article of the machine in a graph format.
According to a sixty-first embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer connected to machines to be monitored through a first-type computer network to execute a local information getting step of getting status information indicating the operation state of each of the machines to be monitored, a local information retention step of retaining the status information, and a local information transmission step of sending the status information to a second-type computer network.
A sixty-second embodiment of the invention specifies that the program in the sixty-first embodiment causes the computer to convert the status information into a format of electronic mail and send the electronic mail to the second-type computer network at the local information transmission step.
A sixty-third embodiment of the invention specifies that the program in the sixty-first embodiment causes the computer to output image data of a main screen for indicating information concerning all machines to be monitored, connected through the first-type computer network and image data of a subscreen for indicating detailed status information of a specific machine specified on the main screen.
According to a sixty-fourth embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer connected to a machine to be monitored to execute a local information getting step of getting status information indicating the operation state of the machine to be monitored, an electronic mail preparation step of converting the gotten status information into a format of electronic mail, and a local information transmission step of sending the prepared electronic mail to a computer network.
According to a sixty-fifth embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer connected to machines to be monitored through a computer network to execute a global information getting step of getting status information indicating the operation state of each of the machines to be monitored through the computer network, a database management step of updating a machine database storing monitor information of the machines based on the status information, and a display step of displaying the information stored on the machine database on a display.
A sixty-sixth embodiment of the invention specifies that the program in the sixty-third embodiment causes the computer to extract the status information from the electronic mail received through the computer network at the global information getting step.
According to a sixty-seventh embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer connected to machines to be monitored through a computer network to execute an electronic mail reception step of receiving electronic mail storing status information indicating the operation state of each of the machines to be monitored through the computer network, an extraction step of extracting the status information from the received electronic mail, a database management step of updating a machine database storing information concerning the machines to be monitored based on the status information, and a display step of displaying the information stored on the machine database on a display.
According to a sixty-eighth embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer connected to machines to be monitored through a computer network to execute a global information getting step of getting status information indicating the operation state of each of the machines to be monitored through the computer network, and a display step of displaying the gotten status information in installation area units of the machines.
According to a sixty-ninth embodiment of the invention, there is provided a computer-readable medium storing a program for causing a computer connected to machines to be monitored through a computer network to execute a global information getting step of periodically getting status information containing remaining amount information of a consumable article of each of machines to be monitored, a data retention step of retaining the gotten status information, a statistical processing step of predicting statistics of the remaining amount of the consumable article based on a plurality of pieces of the retained status information of each machine, and an output step of outputting the predicted remaining amount statistics of the consumable article.